How To Straighten The Front Wheel On A Dirt Bike

Dirt bikes are designed especially for the off-roads and rough terrains. In such rough surfaced tracks and off-roads, there is a possibility that your bikes can face a lot of challenges. This can even mess up with the alignment of the front wheel of your bike. Once the front wheel is misaligned it can be hard for you to drive the bike in a proper way. It can even be riskier for you to drive the bike with a misaligned front wheel. Hence, it is important to straighten the wheel before you start driving again. If you are here, then probably, you are looking for the answer to the question – how to straighten the front wheel on a dirt bike? We are here to help you with your query. Read on to know how you can successfully straighten and align the front wheel of your dirt bike.

WHY FRONT WHEEL ALIGNMENT IS ESSENTIAL?

The alignment of the front wheel of the bike is essential. It ensures proper and efficient functioning of the bike. For two wheelers, like a bike, the front wheel plays the most important role while you are driving. If the front wheel is not properly aligned or straightened, then it can result in accidents and crashes. While driving through the off-road rough surfaces, the potholes, gravels and undulation can cause the front wheel to shift a bit. This can result into wheel misalignment. When the wheels are not aligned properly, it will be difficult for you to drive the bike straight. Hence, you need to straighten the front wheel of your bike properly before you start to drive again.

HOW TO KNOW THE FRONT WHEEL IS NOT STRAIGHT?

Before you start to straighten the front wheel of your dirt bike, you need to identify the issue. There are some signs that you can check to know if the front wheel of your bike is not properly straightened or aligned. If you are wondering how to know, here are some of the signs:

* CROOKED HANDLE

While riding the bike, do you feel the handles are crooked? This can be a sign of a misaligned front wheel. You can clearly understand when the handle of the bike doesn’t feel straight. You will face some discomfort. If you feel so, you need to check the alignment of the front wheel.

* LACK THE BALANCE

When you are riding a bike, you have to balance it on the front and rear wheels. Most of the balance depends on the front wheel. When it is not properly aligned or straightened, you will not be able to balance your bike in the right way. So, when you cannot balance the bike in the right way or the bike is not moving straight, then it can be a sign of a misaligned front wheel.

* GETTING WORN OUT

If the tires of your bike are facing uneven wear and tears, then it can be a sign of misaligned front wheel. The wheels tend to rub on the sides if it is not aligned properly. This can result in uneven and quick wears and tears.

HOW TO STRAIGHTEN THE FRONT WHEEL?

Now that you know how important it is to keep the front wheel properly aligned, you need to know how to straighten it. If the wheel is aligned properly, the front wheel will spin in a straight way without rubbing on the sides. You need to make sure that you are straightening the front wheel properly so that the wheel is properly centered and aligned. Here are some of the important steps that you have to follow:

STEP #1

Make sure to elevate the height of the bike by balancing it over a ramp. If you don’t have access to a ramp to elevate the height of your dirt bike, you can turn it upside down. You can balance the bike on the seat and handlebar carefully. Once you do that, spin the front wheel of the bike with the help of your fingers.

STEP #2

When you are spinning the front wheel of your bike, you have to notice the movement very carefully. See the wheel as it spins and note down on which side it is rubbing mostly. When the alignment of the wheel is wrong, it is bound to rub on a particular side. In case the condition is bad, then it will not spin properly or will not spin at all. You can get a good idea about the alignment of the wheel by noticing it properly.

STEP #3

Spot the lever or the knob present on the fork of the bike. You have to identify the side (left or right) on which the wheel is rubbing. You have to turn the knob or the lever of that side of the bike anti-clockwise. Also, you have to turn the knob or the lever of the opposite side in the clockwise direction. For example, if the misaligned front wheel is rubbing to the right side, then you have to turn the right knob or lever in an anti-clockwise direction. You have to turn the knob or the lever of the left side in a clockwise direction.

STEP #4

Once you are done turning the knob or lever, you have to spin the wheel again with your fingers. Watch the wheel carefully as it spins. If it is spinning perfectly, then you have successfully straightened the front wheel of your bike. In case the wheel is still rubbing on a particular side, then you have to repeat the previous step (step #3) again. Loosening one side while you tighten the other side will help you to bring the wheel back to the center of the forks again.

TO CONCLUDE

Hopefully, you can identify the misaligned front wheel efficiently now. Once you do that, it is important to fix it soon and straighten it. When the wheels are not aligned properly, it can be quite difficult for you to ride the bike properly. From the above step by step guide, you can easily straighten the front wheel of your dirt bike successfully and enjoy a smooth ride again.